Written By Wayne Feece 2023

Grace Reformed Church had its modest beginnings in 1996 as a non-denominational

group of believers who wanted to learn more about reformed doctrine, something they were

introduced to by the pastor of a local church who came to understand this as sound historic

biblical doctrine. The denomination he was in, however, didn’t see it that way, and he soon

followed a call to another church in another state.

Meeting first in a home, then in a local school, we spent our first year worshipping under

the preaching of a number of men, some from Mid America Reformed Seminary, and others

from various reformed denominations. One of those men, Peter Wallace, was a Notre Dame

graduate student, and by 1997 he served us for a year as our interim pastor. Peter was

instrumental in teaching us not only doctrine, but Presbyterianism, and during that second year

we saw the ordination of three elders. In 1998 GRC called Rev. Glenn Jerrell, who served us

for 14 years, before leaving to serve the presbytery as Regional Home Missionary. To help our

small congregation with the new full-time pastor, the Presbytery of the Midwest assisted us in

paying the pastor’s salary for the first three years of Pastor Jerrell’s ministry, this done even

before we joined the OPC! We then joined the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 2000. In 2012

we called Rev. Matt Barker, who served us for 11 years, and recently left to join the staff of a

local hospice organization.

Walkerton is a small town of about 4,000 residents, located 25 miles SW of South Bend.

Largely a residential community, many families live here to be in our small-town schools. Our

congregation is small, roughly 60 members, but God has blessed us richly with active

fellowship and a close family relationship. Our weekly fellowship carry-in meal has allowed us

to know each other better as brothers and sisters, more able to bear one another’s joys and

burdens. More than just Walkerton residents, our people come from a number of other

communities within a 40 mile radius, which is another motivation for our weekly meals. All age

groups are represented, and we are especially blessed with young families and children. Our

church building has been mortgage free since the beginning, and God has blessed us with the

finances to meet our needs and more.

It is our firm belief that our Lord planted this congregation to preach the good news and

serve Walkerton and its surrounding communities in His name. Many of our families have

found us through our website in a search for Reformed teaching, and have stayed because they

have seen His blessings in the people of this congregation. We pray for those blessings to

continue, and to grow, as we look with joyful expectation toward the man that He calls to be our

next shepherd.